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An environmental product declaration (EPD) is the document EU architects, contractors and buyers now ask for when they want verified environmental data on a product. This guide explains what an EPD is, what is inside one, who does what, how long it takes and what drives the cost. It is written for manufacturers, especially those in Turkey supplying EU projects, and for buyers who need to judge the EPDs they receive.
What is an EPD
An EPD is a Type III environmental declaration under ISO 14025. It reports the life cycle environmental impacts of a product, such as global warming potential, acidification and resource use, calculated by life cycle assessment to agreed product category rules, independently verified and published by a programme operator. It describes performance without judging it against a benchmark.
That last point is often misunderstood. An EPD is not an eco-label and it does not say a product is "green". It gives standardised, verified numbers that others can use, mostly in building LCAs, procurement and product comparisons within the limits the rules allow.
The standards behind an EPD
Three layers of rules shape every EPD. ISO 14025 sets the framework for Type III declarations, programme operators and verification. ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 set the requirements for the life cycle assessment underneath. Then a product category rule (PCR) fixes the details for a product type, such as the declared unit, system boundary, allocation and which indicators to report.
For construction products in Europe, the core PCR is EN 15804:2012+A2:2019. Internationally, ISO 21930:2017 plays the same role. Many product groups also have a complementary PCR (c-PCR) that adds sector rules, for example EN 16908 for cement and EN 17160 for ceramic tiles. Outside construction, programme operators such as the International EPD System publish PCRs for products ranging from electrical cables to packaging and food.
Who is involved in an EPD
| Party | Role |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Owns the EPD, provides plant data, is responsible for the declared figures |
| LCA practitioner or EPD consultant | Collects data, builds the LCA model, writes the LCA report and the EPD |
| Independent verifier | Checks the LCA report, data and EPD against the PCR and standards, issues a verification statement |
| Programme operator | Publishes the programme rules and PCRs, registers and publishes the EPD |
The verifier must be independent of the team that did the LCA. That is why a consultant who prepares your EPD cannot also verify it, and why programme operators keep lists of approved verifiers.
What an EPD contains
EPDs follow a fixed structure set by the programme operator and the PCR, so readers find the same information in the same place. A typical construction product EPD includes the following.
- Programme information, including the operator, registration number, PCR used, verifier, publication date and validity.
- Product description, including technical data, composition, intended use and the declared or functional unit, for example 1 tonne of cement or 1 m² of tiles.
- LCA information, covering the system boundary and modules declared, data sources, background database, reference year, cut-off and allocation rules.
- Environmental indicators per module. Under EN 15804+A2 these are 13 core indicators, including four GWP figures, plus 6 additional indicators.
- Resource use, waste and output flow indicators, such as renewable and non-renewable primary energy, secondary materials, fresh water and hazardous waste.
- Scenarios and additional technical information for transport to site, installation, use and end of life.
- Biogenic carbon content of the product and its packaging.
- References and, under current International EPD System rules, a data quality declaration.
The life cycle modules (A1-A3 for production, A4-A5 for construction, B1-B7 for use, C1-C4 for end of life and D beyond the boundary) are explained in our article on EN 15804+A2 modules.
What EPD certification actually means
Search engines and tender documents use the phrase "EPD certification", but there is no certificate in the usual sense. What exists is a verified EPD, registered and published by a programme operator. The verifier does not award a grade. They confirm that the calculation follows the rules and the data is traceable.
So if a buyer asks for your "EPD certificate", send the published EPD or its registration link in the operator's library. That is what they need. Some operators also certify a company's internal EPD process, which lets the company produce further EPDs with internal verification, but that is a process certification, not a product certificate.
How long an EPD takes
For a single product from one plant with a suitable PCR, three to five months is a realistic plan. The table shows where the time goes.
| Step | Typical duration |
|---|---|
| Scoping, PCR and programme operator choice | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Data collection at the plant | 2 to 6 weeks |
| LCA modelling and checks | 2 to 4 weeks |
| LCA report and EPD drafting | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Independent verification and corrections | 2 to 6 weeks |
| Registration and publication | 1 to 2 weeks |
The two steps that vary most are data collection and verification, and both depend on the same thing. If energy is metered per line, the bill of materials is current and waste records are complete, both move quickly. If a PCR does not yet exist for your product, add several months for PCR development through the programme operator.
What drives the cost of an EPD
An EPD has three cost blocks. The consultant's fee for data collection, LCA modelling and drafting. The verifier's fee. The programme operator's registration and publication fees. What moves the total is mostly the scope.
- Number of products and plants, and whether they can be covered in one multi-product or average EPD
- Availability of a PCR or c-PCR for the product
- Modules declared beyond the mandatory ones, since each adds scenarios to justify
- Quality of plant data and existing systems such as a GHG inventory or ISO 14001 records
- Supplier-specific data for key inputs, which improves results but takes time to obtain
- Number of verification rounds
For a manufacturer planning several EPDs, the first one carries most of the set-up effort. Later EPDs for related products reuse the model and data structure and cost noticeably less.
How to check an EPD you receive
If you are a buyer or a building LCA practitioner, a few checks tell you quickly whether an EPD is usable.
- Look it up in the programme operator's online library using the registration number. A PDF that cannot be found there should be questioned.
- Check the validity date and the standard. For construction products in the EU, you want EN 15804+A2, not A1.
- Read the declared unit and modules. A cradle-to-gate figure per tonne is not comparable with a cradle-to-grave figure per m² over 50 years.
- Check the plant and the products covered. An average EPD across several sites or a sector EPD is less specific than a single-plant EPD.
- Look at the reference year, the background database and the electricity modelling, which often explain differences between similar products.
- Confirm the verification statement names an independent verifier.
Comparisons between EPDs are only meaningful when products fulfil the same function, the same PCR was used and the same modules are declared. Even then, the rules for construction products say comparison should be made in the context of the building.
How long an EPD stays valid
An EPD is normally valid for five years from publication, which is the period set in EN 15804, ISO 21930 and the main programme operators' rules. It must be updated earlier if the product or process changes enough to worsen a declared indicator beyond the operator's threshold. After five years the data is reviewed and the EPD is renewed, usually with a lighter effort than the first time.
When an EPD becomes a legal requirement
For now, an EPD is mostly a market requirement rather than a legal one, with exceptions such as France, where environmental claims on construction products must be backed by an EN 15804 declaration on the INIES database. That is changing at EU level. Under the Construction Products Regulation (EU) 2024/3110, applicable since 8 January 2026, manufacturers will have to declare GWP in the declaration of performance and conformity for each product family once its new harmonised technical specification applies, with more indicators from 9 January 2030 and all 19 from 9 January 2032.
That CPR declaration is a separate document checked by a notified body, but it uses the same EN 15804+A2 method. Manufacturers with a current EPD and organised plant data will find the transition far easier. If you are planning your first EPD, our EPD consultancy page sets out how we run projects, and our article on LCA vs EPD vs product carbon footprint helps if you are not sure an EPD is the right document.
Ekol Çevre engineering team
Environmental engineers and consultants based in İzmir, Ankara and Kocaeli.